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NITED STATES ATENT FFlQE.

THOMAS E. LOWERRE, OF MOTT HAVEN, NEW YORK, N. Y.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,911, dated June 15,1880.

Application filed May 1, 1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, THoMAs It. LOWERRE, of Mott Haven, New York city, in thecounty of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to letter-boxes of that class in which the openingand closing of the door at each collection of deposited mail-matter aremade to actuate a register, so as to indicate automatically upon a dialthe time when the next collection should be made, the object being toaccomplish this by an improved and adjustable device actuating theindex, by a com-" bination of fewer parts simpler and cheaper than inletter'boxes as heretofore constructed for a similar purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1? represents in full lines a sideview of a closed letter-box to which my present invention is applied,and in dotted lines the position of the index as changed by the openingof the door. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, in which the exterior issupposed to be cut away along the line was of Fig. 3 to show themechanism. Fig. 3 is a top view of the index-actuating mechanism, thedial and the exterior of the box being shown as if cut away along thehorizontal section line y 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the letter-box, and B the door, hinged to it at b. O is one of theusual side pieces cast upon the inside of the door B at right angles tothe latter. The piece 0 has a series of holes, 0, through it, which arebored preferably equidistant from the hinge b, and in one of said holesis fastened, by a nut upon its threaded shank, a stud or pin, 0, inposition to be slid in the slot- (1 of the lever D and turn the latterupon its fulcrum or pivot 0 when the door B is being opened or closed.The inner end of the lever D is also slotted at right angles to the slotd, to receive in the thus-formed jaw a ratchet-wheel, E, and pawl H inthe manner of an ordinary ratchet-drill lever.

The pawl H is pressed by a spring, h, to keep in contact with the teethof the ratchet-wheel E, which latteris secured upon a square formed onthe pivot c of the lever D.

The pivot c has its bearings in the bracketI and the plate J, the formerbeing fastened by bolts or screws 2' to the latter, and the latter beingfastened by screws to the inside of the box A. When thus fastened thepivot c projects through a hole in the side of the box, and upon itsouter end is secured the index F, which points to one or other of thefigures on the circular dial-plate G, which denote the hours ofcollection.

Then the parts are arranged as in Fig. 2 the opening of the door B willcause the pawl H to push the wheel E around a little until, when the pin0 has reached the end of the slot d, the index F has moved from itsposition opposite the hour of the present collection (say at 8 oclock a.in.) to a position opposite the hour of the next collection, (say at9.30 a. m.,) or in theposition of the dotted index in Fig. 1.

\Vhen the door is being closed the pawl H, following the sweep of thelever D, recedes from the bottom of the teeth of the wheel E, and thelatter is retained in position of keeping the index opposite the hour ofthe next collection by the'stop-pawl K, which is pressed by a spring, L,and is pivoted at k to the plate J.

It is evident that by reversing the position of the wheel and pawl in asuitable manner the index may be moved by the closing instead of openingof the door.

The dial-plate G is fastened, by little screws 9, to the box A, within aprotecting-rim, M, which latter is preferably cast upon the side of thebox A, so that it may be easily removed and replaced by a new dial whenthe postal department sees fit to change the hours of collection. Inthat case the throw of the lever D must, of course, be changed to makethe index F move according to the changed distance between thedivision-marks on the new dial. This is done by removing the stud c fromthe hole in the piece 0 in which it is secured, and inserting it in theouter hole 0 if a shorter throw is required, and in the inner hole 0 ifa longer throw is required, the lever D in the latter case being causedto make a larger turn before the stud 0 stops against the end of theslot at than it would if the stud 0 were secured in the outer hole.

The dial is covered by a pane of glass, m,

which is secured in the open-faced cover N, hinged to a lug, a, on theoutside of the box. The cover N, when closed, fits around the rim M, soas toentirelyinclose the latter, and rests against the outside of thebox, to which it is secured by a bolt, 0, passing through a lug, n, onthe rim of the cover N, and through the side wall of the box, the boltbeing tightened on the inside of the wall by a nut, 0, fitting on itsthreaded inner end, as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper part of the rim of the cover N is provided. with a lug, n, towhich is hinged another closed cover or drop-lid, P, which latterconceals and protects the pane m and dial G from injury.

To read the dial the cover I? is raised and held in the positionshown inFig, 1.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a letter-box arranged to indicate automatically the time'for thenext collection, the slotted lever D, pivoted upon the index-pin e andprovided with feed-pawl H, in combination with the ratchet-wheel E andstop-pawl K, and with the stud 0, attached directly or indirectly to thedoor B, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. In a letter-box arranged to indicate automatically the time for thenext collection, the combination of the door-flange 0, having a seriesof holes, 0, and a stud, 0, adjustable in the

